Candidates - Things To Be Aware Of When Using A Recruitment Agency

Sammyantha

LilyDeTilly wrote: »

So you are a recruitment salesperson! Now that explains your replies on that other post about getting a job - I believe you were described as "patronising" by a number of people

Actually no, I handle the internal recruitment for a niche medical company. My comments regarding job seeking are based on my own experience, having just begun a new job myself.

The attitude of some posters on here truly astounds me. Do you have nothing better to do than complain about other users on an internet forum? I'm just thankful I have figured out how the ignore list works. I no longer have to read anymore of your tosh:T

Wellery82

A few of the recurring themes don't really pay a fair case to the Recruitment Consultantancies in my opinion -

1.) Maliciously trying to get an employer to withdraw an offer - I encountered this once in 4 years working in the industry and the employer dismissed it. It would lose the consultant a lot of face if they were seen to be that malicious- think about it, would you like someone trying to convince you to withdraw an offer if you are recruiting. It happens rarely, probably the same as when someone has applied for a job themselves, finds out it has just been offered and tries to talk the company around themselves

2.) Testing the candidates out for leads - If they ask where you have left then they want to backfill your job, only natural and hurts no one? If they ask where you are joining they are looking to identify a possible new company that may use agencies, not withdraw your offer. If they ask where you are out to interview they will be looking to put candidates up against you. This may not sit nicely but its not a practise confined to recruitment agencies - would you trust all your colleagues to know where you are applying? I wouldn't as i know some may apply themselves! The same principle applies

3.) Lack of customer service - They receive literally hundreds and hundreds of CVs a day, hundreds of messages, and have to generate new business by finding companies that will pay their fees. It isn't that they don't care as some may care and some may not, it is simple as they don't have time to respond if they will generate the sales that keep them in a job

4.) Rubbish at finding jobs - Unfortunately their service is for the benefit of their company - they aren't paid by candidates. As such they have to prioritise. If you looked great for a job on Monday, but on Tuesday the employer tells them it is now filled and there is a shortage of similar jobs then unfortunately they can't help you until they find something similar. There focus is on finding work, not finding work to fit you unfortunately

5.) Jobs don't exist - Many employers want to see CVs before they committ to a finders fee. They want to know "who you have on your books" before deciding whether to use an agency. They decide after agreeing a fee they can use a cheaper agency. All of these are reasons why jobs seem to exist and then they seem like they have vanished

Recruitment Agents get many people great jobs and also leave many people angry and frustrated. If you take them as a free service that may help you, don't give away any information that may cause the odd consultant to be malicious, then you can't really lose

Wellery82

Also it is worth bearing in mind some recruitment agents have been too trusting themselves. I worked with a number of colleagues who took the CVs and words of applicants at face value and were then let down by people not going to interview or the client being unhappy at a false CV. Ultimately this lead to them losing their jobs as they didn't deliver the sales pipeline they had forecast so just another angle to think about

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Sammyantha wrote: »

Actually no, I handle the internal recruitment for a niche medical company. My comments regarding job seeking are based on my own experience, having just begun a new job myself.

The attitude of some posters on here truly astounds me. Do you have nothing better to do than complain about other users on an internet forum? I'm just thankful I have figured out how the ignore list works. I no longer have to read anymore of your tosh:T

Obviously not.

The OP believes that because I also had a bad experience with Select Recruitment in 1990 I & all others should avoid them at all costs & should of avoided the temporary job they gave me that supported me through University just a couple of months later because it was all done on the self-interest of the consultant who was only after commission .. :eek:

RacyRed

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Like I said before.

You need to learn how to read.

You mean the experience I described with Hays?

Oh they wanted to work with me alright once I'd done what they considered to be the impossible. The need for the panel interview and the comments about payment rates vanished immediately. They even put me forward, without my knowledge, for interviews with other companies, knowing full well I had just signed a contract.

It was obvious Hays wanted both the chance to earn fees out of me and to place a new candidate in the role I'd obtained. My boss told me I was also bad mouthed by them, which disgusted him and resulted in them being excluded from further recruitment in that field with the company.

danothy

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

The OP believes that because I also had a bad experience with Select Recruitment in 1990 I & all others should avoid them at all costs & should of avoided the temporary job they gave me that supported me through University just a couple of months later because it was all done on the self-interest of the consultant who was only after commission .. :eek:

You are both attributing an opinion/belief to someone and misrepresenting what they have previously said in this paragraph. Neither of these things are reasonable in a debate context and they amount to a personal attack.

Sammyantha

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

Obviously not.

The OP believes that because I also had a bad experience with Select Recruitment in 1990 I & all others should avoid them at all costs & should of avoided the temporary job they gave me that supported me through University just a couple of months later because it was all done on the self-interest of the consultant who was only after commission .. :eek:

People have their own opinions on things. We can't avoid that unfortunately. We're hard wired to build both negative and positive experiences into our outlook in order to benefit us in our future endeavours. Too many people are willing to write people and organisations off completely, because they personally had a bad experience. The fact that others have had a different experience makes no difference to them.

At the end of the day it's down to each person to weigh up the potential pitfalls against the potential benefits, and make their own decisions.

Sammyantha

Your comment was out of order.

RedSoleShoes

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

The OP believes that I & all others should avoid them at all costs & should of avoided the temporary job they gave me that supported me through University just a couple of months later because it was all done on the self-interest of the consultant who was only after commission ..

Ummm... not quite. You can do whatever you like, as can any other poster on here. You seem to keep missing the point that I was making that candidates should not give info about their other applications/offers as agencies use this for their own gain, even if it means stabbing their candidate in the back.

Now if you would actually like to comment on this particular point, then maybe you will give yourself some credibility.

As for your personal comments, it is really of no consequence to me what you THINK you know about me. Happy Timewasting while you try and work out the personality of someone you will never meet!

1984ReturnsForReal_2

LilyDeTilly wrote: »

Ummm... not quite. You can do whatever you like, as can any other poster on here. You seem to keep missing the point that I was making that candidates should not give info about their other applications/offers as agencies use this for their own gain, even if it means stabbing their candidate in the back.

Now if you would actually like to comment on this particular point, then maybe you will give yourself some credibility.

As for your personal comments, it is really of no consequence to me what you THINK you know about me. Happy Timewasting while you try and work out the personality of someone you will never meet!

I dont miss any points.

You miss one point.

The relationship between consultant & candidate is based on trust.

There are bad candidates & bad consultants.

& the bad candidates far far outweigh the number of bad consultants.

I have met hundreds of recruitment consultants, I have come across one or two that would do anything untoward like that which has been expressed on here.

I have met several thousand candidates, seen hundreds of thousands of CVs, employed thousands of people & a much higher number of them are liars, are deceitful & would do anything to stab anyone in the back including the consultant.

Do you advise me to let all the consultants I have met know they should avoid at all costs telling the truth to candidates?

Quite simply. That would be silly wouldn't it? An over reaction maybe? A bit paranoid perhaps? & more importantly totally unrealistic.